Rose's Bizarre Adventure - Part 1: Phantom Aura
by High Inquisitor Darkblaw
Summary: Raven and Qrow Branwen, twins born from an evil mother and father, escape from their family and are thrust into the Rose family, where they meet Summer Rose. A rivalry sparks between Summer and Raven, with a stone mask tying together their fates. With Raven attempting to rule the world with her new vampire powers, Summer must master Aura to defeat her. (Remix of JJBA Part 1)
1. Raven and Qrow, The Invaders

A large, black storm cloud raged above. Torrents of rain fell upon the Vale lands, and it had not let up for several weeks. It was the perfect time for the tribe to strike at the innocent villagers and townspeople, for it was a survival of the fittest, after all. They'd set up traps on the road, which would knock down any carts that rode by. And should a person hiking through the passage come, they'd come out of the woodwork and take them out with their own hands, most likely letting the person go should they not resist.

None of those things occurred here. A carriage rode by, just as they'd been resetting the traps once again. Members of the tribe ducked behind bushes and other effects, such as other raided wagons. The carriage had been riding by with no problem, and it seemed as if they would lose some resources and money that was right in front of them.

But, as if by an act of a malevolent being or by destiny, lightning descended from the heavens and struck the cart, setting it ablaze and making it fall over. A woman's scream rang throughout the pass and members of the tribe looked at each for a moment before two walked over to the flaming cart, a husband and wife duo. They were dressed in dark clothes, and the woman's belly was getting large, she would produce a child soon. Maybe even two.

"Hahaha! Aren't we some lucky devils, Maggie?" the husband said, his voice slimy and dark. His wife, Maggie, watched his carefully as the two stalked over to the cart.

"Yes, I suppose, Jack. I think I saw a family in there though…" Maggie trailed, slowing her walking down. Jack looked over at her, his face twisted.

"Getting soft, Mag? Come on, you aren't that easy on folks. Maybe the babe in you is a curse more than a blessing…" Jack said, turning back around and continuing his walk. Maggie watch him move forward with a dark look on her face.

 _Don't ever say that about my children ever again…_ Maggie thought as she glared daggers in the back of Jack's head.

"Oh, we got real lucky!" Jack yelped, pulling Maggie close to him, "it's a noble family's carriage! Haha!"

Maggie pushed away from her husband's grasp and looked at the scene. An older looking man had fallen out of the cart and laid on the ground, his refined suit looking nearly untouched. The woman in the cart didn't look as good as he did, however. She was leaning out of the top of the wagon, which had been blown out and set ablaze by the lightning. Her dress was tattered and burnt, and her face was bloodied and slashed, as if the roof had fallen upon her face and clothes. In her arms was an untouched, pure baby, crying at the unfamiliar scene.

"I'll check the man for any gold or jewelry he might have, you check the cart," Jack said, quickly stepping over to the unconscious fellow. Maggie shook her head before walking over to the woman who had fallen, and staring down at her. She looked calm, but for some reason, Maggie could feel some sort of pressure, some kind of _force_ coming from the woman. She reached down and took the baby into her arms, it was wrapped in a white cloth. It seemed to calm down after Maggie held it close.

 _Hm, maybe I'll make a good mother after all,_ she thought, staring into the babe's face. The baby opened its eyes. The baby's entrapping silver eyes met Maggie's own pair of red ones. She felt stunned, felt another force come down on her. It wasn't until she'd heard a cough beneath her when her eyes ripped away from the baby's piercing gaze. The woman who'd sustained such a devastating condition was still alive, but certainly not well. The woman stared up at Maggie, her eyes brown, unlike the baby's.

"You're alive!" Maggie said, crouching down to speak with the damaged woman.

"What… what happened?" the woman asked, coughing up her own spit and blood.

"…Lightning struck your vehicle, but you managed to survive. Your baby is in good condition," Maggie explained, feeling light in her chest. _Perhaps I_ am _getting soft…_

"Oh, thank the gods!" the woman exclaimed, pulling herself out of the cart and sitting up, meeting Maggie's eye level. The woman took the baby into her arms once again, and Maggie watched the two for a moment. The mother's face looked up at Maggie and then frantically looked around, "where is my husband? Did he… survive?"

Maggie placed her hands on the woman's shoulders and was about to explain before her own husband walked toward the two, a disabled man holding his arm on Jack's shoulders.

"Don't worry, lass, your man's right here," Jack said, pulling away from the husband's grasp once he stood next to his wife.

"Nothing more than an injured back, my dear…" the husband leaned down and kissed his wife on the forehead before facing the two thieves, who'd been acting kind the whole time. "I am Archer Rose, and this is my wife, Chinow Rose."

"Of the House of Rose?" Maggie asked, seeing a rose-like emblem on both of their dress wear. Archer and Chinow nodded, looking at Maggie and Jack with deep kindness in their eyes. Maggie looked over at Jack for a moment, "I am Maggie Branwen, and this is my husband, Jack Branwen."

"Is there any way we can repay you for coming to help us?" Chinow said, looking up at Maggie.

"Oh, we didn't do much…" Maggie said, holding her arm shyly. Jack knew this trick all too well, his wife had always seemed to do this whenever someone offered something in return and she always made out with something more than originally given. Archer stepped forward.

"Oh please, you have done a great service to our family. We are forever in your debt," Archer said, as Maggie inwardly smirked at his answer. Things had been working just fine, all she needed right now was for her damn husband to keep his mouth shut and maybe they could get out of the tribal attacks and live like kings and queens. The two sets of lovers talked on, about the plans they would make in order to get back to the village and about the reward the thieves would be getting. No one had seemed to notice the stone mask that fell out of the cart and into the road. And no one noticed how when Chinow's blood was being washed away by the rain, the moment the blood made contact with the mask, it activated, spikes coming out of the sides…

 **~ 12 Years Later ~**

The clouds that had plagued Vale had long been gone since the day of the meeting between the Branwens and the Roses. Sun shined over the lush, green lands of the continent. The mountainous border was visible to the east in broad daylight, while the ocean splitting the continent in half could be seen to the west. Archer Rose stood upon his mansion's balcony and looked upon the bright day. Once he heard the front doors of the Rose mansion open, he looked down to see his young daughter, Summer Rose, running through the courtyard. She turned around and waved goodbye to her father before running off into the field.

Chinow walked and stood next to Archer, "Such a bright young girl."

"She reminds me a bit of you," Archer said, smiling.

While the Roses were content living their lavish lifestyle, the Branwens were going through a different situation. Maggie and Jack currently resided in a small house at a village not too far away from the Rose mansion and its countryside. Maggie had given birth to twins, Raven and Qrow Branwen, and it was due to that, that they'd been run to the ground and poor. Or, that's what Jack had blamed them for.

"You good-for-nothing brats! This is why getting out of the tribe was a horrible idea!" Jack yelled at Raven and Qrow, the two of them tucked away in a corner. Raven was in front of her slightly younger brother, trying to protect him all she could.

"Don't hurt them!" Maggie yelled, grabbing Jack's arm to pull him away from their children. Jack turned to his wife with pure malice in his eyes.

"Don't yell at me like that, bitch!" Jack grabbed Maggie's neck and pushed her against the wall.

"Stop hurting her!" Raven said, running up to her father's leg and slamming her fists on him. Jack flicked his daughter with the back of his hand, making her stumbled back and writhe in pain.

"Buncha useless maggots," Jack growled, stepping away from Maggie and walking out of the room.

Archer and Jack were nearly two completely different men. While Jack was mean and demanding, Archer was soft and supportive. Until it came to his daughter, Summer, that was. Even sitting down and eating a dinner with his family felt like a chore when his own daughter wasn't making any progress into becoming a real lady, like her mother.

Summer grabbed her fork and began to chow down, stuffing her face as fast as possible. She just liked seeing the combinations of the flavors in the food they ate, but her father constantly chided her.

Archer slammed his palm down on the table, "Summer, manners!"

Summer looked up at her father, her eyes wide and a piece of meat still dangling from her mouth. She slurped the meat up, and with her mouth full she tried to apologize, only further disappointing her father.

"You know you mustn't speak with your mouth full, young lady!" Archer scolded.

Summer chewed her food and swallowed it quickly, "Sorry, father…"

Archer sighed as Chinow placed her hand gingerly upon his own, "She'll learn, dear."

"I know, I just thought there'd be a bit more progress."

"You just have to give her more time," Chinow calmly pleaded. Archer nodded, and she was content with that answer.

In comparison, despite her worse upbringing, Raven Branwen was the much more composed person. Her father constantly yelled and abused her and her brother, but she took the thing positively and learned how to be respectful quickly. It was the only way for her to get around the beatings of her own father.

She was also quite smart for her age of twelve. She would often leave her house, mostly to get away from her family, but also to make a bit of money for her own spending. Raven found herself in bars, ordering food and playing a game of chess or poker to make some change.

She'd just won a match against a pitiful looking man. He dug in his pouch and pulled some gold coins out, throwing them onto the table, near Raven's elbow. She smirked for a moment, before the man grabbed her head and shoved her face into the plate of food she'd been eating.

"Feelin' smart now, girl? Next time, I'll win, and you'll have to actually show me what's under that shirt," the man grinned as he let go of Raven's head and walked out of the bar. Raven lit up like a match, and she felt like chasing down the man and beating the hell out of him, but she'd managed to control her anger. She didn't want to end up as child-like as her father was. Gathering her things, along with her winnings, she made her way home.

Something similar between Summer Rose and Raven Branwen were their senses of justice. Raven constantly protected her 'younger' brother from their father's attacks, resulting in her taking most of the abuse, while Summer wanted to be like the heroes she'd read about in her literature studies with her private teacher.

Summer had her prime opportunity to be a hero like that one day. She'd just walked out of the mansion when she saw a poor boy stalking around a tree, when two rich boys went up towards the kid.

"What's your kind doin' around here, punk?" one of the boys yelled, purposefully spitting in the poor boy's face. The poor boy didn't seem to notice, though, he was unique in the area for his bright, blonde hair. Summer dashed towards the three.

"Haha! Come on, talk to us! Don't need to be…" one of the bullies pushed the boy hard, and his back hit the tree, "so shy!"

"Don't hurt him!" Summer yelled, jumping over a stone barrier and facing the two bullies. They looked at her confused for a moment, before they broke out laughing.

"Hahaha! Look, Taiyang! You've got another girl defending you!" One of the bullies doubled over, laughing hard. He wasn't laughing when Summer's fist connected with the guy's face, though. "Ow!"

"Don't laugh at him!" Summer raised her fists, but she didn't notice the other bully slip around behind her. The kid pushed her down to the ground, and helped his friend recover from that sucker punch Summer delivered.

"Let's get outta here, they ain't worth it," the bully said, helping his friend stumble away. Once the two were at a reasonable distance, the boy known as Taiyang got up from his position near the tree and helped Summer up.

"Are you okay?" Taiyang asked, looking at how dirty Summer's red dress had become.

"Of course I'm not okay, I wasn't able to really save you!" Summer yelled, stomping her foot into the dirt. She ran away, back toward the Rose mansion, Taiyang assumed. He wasn't able to catch her name, but he did see the Rose emblem sown into the waist of her dress.

"Rose…" Taiyang repeated aloud, "reminds me of that other, Raven, girl…"

Just like Summer, Raven had protected Taiyang from those bullies once in the past. She felt weak, so she protected those similar to her just to make her feel stronger. It was selfish, she knew, but she didn't care. Though, she knew where she got her selfishness from. Her mother, despite being leagues above her father, wasn't very good either. Maggie had committed thievery even outside of the tribe and Raven knew that one day, Maggie would kill Jack. And she knew that the woman would abandon her children to someone else.

She knew it because if she was in that position, Raven would do the same.

And so, that day came. Maggie murdered Jack, right in front of Qrow and Raven. Qrow couldn't watch Maggie unload all of her rage into her husband, but Raven watched, rather apathetic towards the whole thing. Maggie quickly handed Raven a letter and said a quick goodbye to them, before dashing out of the house. No love was given to them, no goodbye kisses were delivered to soften the blow to their hearts. Or rather, Qrow's heart. He'd grown to look up to his mom, and once she just left without saying a word, it left a hole.

Raven looked down at the letter Maggie had given her.

" _Deliver to the Rose Estate, My Daughter"_

Raven gave a sickening smirk, and Qrow watched her with cautious eyes.

 _Time for everything to finally go my way…_ Raven thought, gripping the letter tight. "Qrow, pack your things. We're moving out of here."

"Huh?" Qrow asked, confused as to why things were moving so quickly.

"We're going to see some family friends…" Raven said, ushering Qrow out of the room. Before she left, Raven gave one last look to her father's mutilated body. She spat, and it mixed in with the dead man's blood. "I'll become everything you wanted, you monster. And you can watch with jealously, from your cell in hell."

This is where the tale of two young women intersect, their destiny sealed by a stone mask.

 **ROSE'S BIZARRE ADVENTURE – PART 1: PHANTOM AURA**

Chapter 1: Raven and Qrow, The Invaders

Summer had returned to the Rose Mansion's courtyard after her unsuccessful bout with those bullies. Wiping the dirt off of her dress the best she could, as well as using the fountain to help, she stumbled toward her home. That was, until she heard a cart pulling up beside her. The man steering said cart tipped his hat before opening the door. A suitcase fell out of the cart, and a young girl around Summer's age jumped out and landed in a crouching position. As she stood up, Summer could feel an air of menace around her…

The girl wore a male suit, with a black coat and black pants, with a red shirt underneath. Her hair, like her suit, was jet black and was so long that it seemed to reach her lower back area. The girl looked at Summer for a moment before turning back to the cart and watching a young man get out of it, with much less dramatic style. He wore the same suit, except his shirt was white, and his hair was short and seemed to fall a bit in front of his eyes.

 _Who're they…?_ Summer wondered for a moment before walking up to the both of them. She noticed they had the same eyes, and they looked extremely familiar…

"Hello," the boy said, stepping forward with his hand out. "Qrow Branwen, and this is my sister, Raven Branwen."

Summer's eyes widened as she realized who they were, her father talked about them coming over before. "Oh, the Branwens! Sorry for not recognizing you earlier."

"No problem," Qrow played off, shaking Summer's hand. He quickly noticed just how… soft it was. And then he realized Summer was the first girl his age that he's ever actually touched. He slowly removed his hand, suddenly feeling really awkward.

 _So, this is the Rose's heir?_ Raven thought, picking up her suitcase and poking her brother to get his own. _She looks like a pampered brat… But I suppose I'll play nice for now._

Suddenly, the doors to the Rose Mansion opened and out walked Archer Rose, Chinow Rose, and a few butlers and maids.

"Welcome, Branwens! I was awaiting your arrival. I see you've met my daughter," Archer said, walking up to the two children.

"Yes, sir. We've become acquainted," Raven spoke, her voice smooth and buttery. It surprised Summer, she thought she'd have a more intimidating voice. Qrow nodded to affirm with Raven, and the three were brought inside. The main hall was large, a staircase in the middle and two open areas to the left and the right. On the left wall of the staircase were family photos and portraits, while the right held a stone mask.

"Yes, well, you should become friendlier as time goes along!" Chinow said, her voice light and cheerful.

"The two of you are a part of the family now," Archer said, turning to face Summer, "my daughter, you shall treat them as if they were your siblings. And I hope you both do the same with Summer."

"Yes, of course," Qrow kept it simple, sweet, and short.

"I wouldn't have it any other way, sir," Raven said, still trying to make herself look good.

"Haha, you are such good kids. Sad your father had to pass away the way he did, but I hope we can be just as good of a family," Chinow said, her bright smile being infectious toward Qrow.

"Ah, I'm sure that won't be hard to accomplish," Qrow said, a genuine smile on his face. Raven gave him a sideways look but returned to normal. Summer noticed it, however.

"Thank you for your hospitality, Sir Rose," Raven said, her words still smooth as she first spoke, but things seemed different… Seemed forced, from Summer's perspective. But she decided she'd stay the course, maybe Raven was having a bad day, or something.

"Please, don't mention it. Now, let me show you to your rooms," Archer said, walking up the main staircase, Chinow right behind him. Raven sat her suitcase down on the foot of the steps, and Qrow followed suit.

 _Oh, maybe I can give a good impression by helping them!_ Summer thought as she reached down and grabbed the handle of Raven's suitcase. Suddenly, a tight grip wrapped around her wrist and her hand was wrenched away from the handle. Summer looked up and it was Raven who held her away.

"Ouch! You're hurting me!" Summer exclaimed, trying to pull away from Raven's grip. She did not let up, however.

"Hands off, no one touches my bags. Keep your dirty paws to yourself, got it?!" Raven yelled.

"I was just trying to help!" Summer yelled back, trying to pull away once again. Raven just pulled her closer and stepped in front of her, and elbowed Summer's chest, making her lose her wind.

"Raven, what are you doing!?" Qrow scolded, pulling his sister away from Summer.

"A servant will bring my stuff up, not a dirty mutt like her," Raven explained, pulling away from Qrow. Raven leaned down at the fallen Summer, and pulled her ear close. "I may be your guest, but I won't take any lip from you. So listen carefully, I always come out on top. You won't be looking down upon me."

"But I just want to be your friend!" Summer said, pushing Raven's hand away from her ear.

"Sorry to say, but we'll never be friends. Not with you in my way," Raven said, standing back up.

"What's keeping you children?" Archer yelled, waiting for the three kids.

"Sorry to keep you waiting, sir," Raven responded, her voice transforming from the darkness it was when she was attacked back into her façade to trick her father. Raven and Qrow ascended the stairs, and Summer only watched as Qrow turned back around to face her, with a solemn look on his face. He was the only one whom she'd had a good feeling about, it was his sister that had a deadly aura. But all the same, she had a bad feeling about the future…

It wasn't long until Raven began to impress, and Summer began to do less than so. On study exams, Raven always managed to get 20 out of 20, while Summer had only ever been able to get a handful right, and Qrow did average. When it came to manners, the Branwen twins had Summer beat, Raven especially impressive. She looked like a lady, while Summer looked like a man in a lady's body. Summer was scolded by her father on every occasion, and even had her dinner taken away as punishment for not eating politely as a lady should. She could feel Raven stripping away all of her powers as a Rose heir, and she felt that she would lose everything soon.

One day, however, she had a chance to finally get away from Raven and have a bit of fun with it all, she'd go to the boxing group with the nearby boys and girls of her age, and she'd be able to show her heroic might, as she called it. Her father couldn't know about it, though, if he did, she was afraid he would denounce her as a Rose heir. Her plan was to go out in her signature red dress, and her hair all neat, and once she'd made it to the stream, she would rip off her dress and reveal her fighting outfit underneath. Perfect plan, and Archer would keep thinking she was working toward becoming a responsible lady.

Well, it was a perfect plan, until Qrow walked in on her putting on her gear. "So, going somewhere?"

"Qrow! Uh… no?" Summer yelped in surprise and quickly leaned against her studying desk, hiding her boxing gloves.

"Yeah, right, I see what you're wearing. I never thought you'd be caught with those types of things on," Qrow said, walking further into the room and shutting the door. "You box?"

"Um… yeah. There's this boxing group and it's fun just being able to let it all loose and let out some anger, you know?" Summer explained, and Qrow nodded, satisfied with the answer. She almost sighed of relief before she realized that Qrow was here, "Qrow, you have to promise me you won't tell father about this! If he caught wind of me doing this, I'd be severely punished…"

"Okay," Qrow said, "you have my word."

"Huh?" Summer said, caught a bit off guard at his answer. She'd expected him deny it, and act just as his sister would in this situation.

"On one condition," he added.

"And that is…"

"I get to come with you," Qrow added, with a smirk. Summer smirked back.

"I think that can be arranged. I have a spare pair of boxing gloves."

"Okay, then I'll meet you outside," Qrow said, taking the gloves from her and walking out. Summer could breathe easy now.

Qrow took fast strides to the outside, he didn't want to get caught by-

"Oh, hello brother," Raven greeted, standing at the foot of the steps. "Going somewhere?"

"Raven! Uh… no?" Qrow answered, quick. He was really having déjà vu…

"Oh, really?" Raven questioned, her tone slimy and slithery.

"Listen, Raven, can I just do something without your permission? You treat me like a child," Qrow complained as he walked down the steps. Raven glared at him and rolled her eyes.

"Fine then, I was merely looking after you," Raven explained, turning away.

"I know, and I thank you. But you should know when to let go." Qrow said, striking Raven in her heart. She swore, it was the first thing that ever did. The moment Qrow left the Rose Mansion, she exploded.

"Who does he think he is, telling me what to do?! Grr, if he wasn't my brother, then I'd…!" Raven was interrupted by the sound of a door opening and closing. Summer had just left her room, and was quickly making her way through mansion to get out. As she passed the main hall, Summer traded glances with Raven before hastily making her way through the front doors. Raven took a peak through the window, and saw both of her siblings walking together. "She did this to him! Oh, Summer Rose… I won't only make your life a living hell, but I'll make sure you never bounce back from it again…!"

It wasn't long before Summer and Qrow made it to the stream near the set-up boxing ring. Qrow was busy putting on his gloves, while Summer was taking off her dress and getting her own gloves ready.

"Ready to go, Qrow?" Summer said, getting finished faster than him, surprisingly. He nodded once he tightened the glove and the two made their way over to the ring. A crowd had already started to form, many looking at Qrow like a newbie.

 _Time to show them what a Branwen can do…_

* * *

A few matches passed by quick, as the general rule was to get a hit on the face. Summer had faced men and women alike, dodging their blows and returning with quick succession. Qrow had to hand it to her, she was doing really well, a lot better than he expected a soft woman like her to handle. _But she doesn't have the same power as Raven…_ a thought slipped into Qrow's mind. And as if he was psychic, he saw Raven making her way over to the ring, a dark look on her face.

"Can anyone defeat the superstar Summer?!" the announcer yelled, with the crowd cheering afterwards.

"I'll have a go," Raven said, cutting the applause Summer was hearing into dead silence. She slowly turned around, and was met with the dark glare of her adversary. Raven had stolen her brother's gloves, which fit surprisingly well, and now the two were matched up.

Summer wanted to say something before the match started, "I've been waiting for this moment."

Raven gave her a sickeningly large grin, "So have I, Summer Rose."

The match started. Summer dashed forward and enveloped Raven in a flurry of attacks. None of them were connecting, however. She was hoping Raven would slip up somehow, but with every punch she threw, Raven dodged.

 _I have to admit, she isn't bad…_ Raven thought before grinning, _but she isn't good enough to stop me._ Raven stepped into her guard and slammed her fist into Summer's stomach. She doubled over and spat out a bit of blood.

"Summer!" Qrow yelled out from the crowd.

Summer stumbled back, blunt pain enveloping her senses. Just as she looked up, Raven sent her fist rocketing forward, and a dull pain entrapped her once more. She could feel her blood spewing from her nose and mouth, but Raven wasn't done just yet. She adjusted her fist and poked her thumb through Summer's eye, damaging it. Finally, she let the punch go, and Summer fell to the ground, bloodied and black eyed.

The crowd cheered for their new champion, and Summer was left in the dust, but she still had her one supporter.

"Raven messed you up pretty bad," Qrow said, helping Summer stand up. "Let me see your eye…"

"Don't touch me…" Summer said, flinging away as Qrow tried to hold her face. Blood was dripping from her eye, and the pain made her incredible irritable.

"Okay, fine…" Qrow said, stepping away from Summer, but still watching her.

Raven was conversing with the crowd that suddenly surrounded her.

"You have to teach us that move you used on her!" someone said, catching Raven's attention.

"Sure, but… You have to make sure Summer doesn't talk about me showing up here. I'm not actually allowed, so if she says, then I can't teach you guys new techniques…" Raven said, smirking.

Summer felt the burning gaze of everyone at the boxing ring. All of them, looking at her with distain. She couldn't take it anymore. Summer ran away, dripping tears and blood as a trail. Qrow reached a hand out and was nearly about to give chase, but was stopped by Raven pulling on the collar of his shirt. He turned to face her, and when he did, he recoiled. She was wearing the same smirk their father would always make after he beat them.

 _You're pitting everyone against Summer, and in some way, that includes me…_

Betrayed couldn't begin to describe how Summer had felt. She didn't like Raven, hell, she wasn't even too fond of Qrow, but she at least got along with him. But she'd done nothing, _nothing,_ to deserve something like this. She'd never offended Raven since the first day she had shown up, and yet, Raven is seemingly trying to ruin her life. And now, the girl had proven that by facing her in a physical fight. Her mother had always told her to keep an optimistic outlook, yet the only, tiny silver lining she could see was the fact that Raven wouldn't be able to talk to their father about her visits to the boxing ring due to Raven visiting as well. That was it.

 _Everyone hates me, apparently…_ Summer thought as she sat down and leaned against a tree. She ran all the way back to where she and Qrow got ready to go boxing, where she'd taken her dress off… _My dress! Where did I put it?_ Summer stumbled upwards and slowly walked forward, her head was still pounding after that beating from Raven. _I could've swore I left it near the stream…_ Summer looked further down the waterway, and she saw a familiar looking boy with a very familiar looking red dress.

"Hey, get off my dress!" Summer yelled as she ran for the boy. The kid stumbled back ran away, pretty fast as well. Summer didn't have the energy to chase after him, so she just settled on getting her dress. "Well, at least I found- oh hey! That dirt stain was finally washed out! Did that kid…?"

Summer looked behind her and the boy was still visible. She decided to go for it. "Hey, come back here tomorrow, okay?" She smiled for a moment before frowning once more. _I should clean up my face before heading back home…_ A splash of water later and the blood was gone. Slipping on her dress, she walked back home and managed to sneak back into her room without anyone noticing. Taking an early sleep, she went down around the afternoon time, and slept the day away. _Maybe everything with get a little better tomorrow…_

Raven and Qrow arrived back home at the same time. Raven couldn't help but find humor in the way Qrow hadn't been talking to her at all since she had won the battle against Summer.

"You've really fallen for her, haven't you?" Raven said, the same smirk Qrow saw before was still planted on her face.

"More like I'm starting to see who you are," Qrow retorted, turning her way and glaring. His statement wiped the smirk off her face.

" _What exactly do you mean?"_ Raven asked, drawing out each word with anger. Qrow shook his head.

"You know exactly what I mean," Qrow said, walking up the main staircase and into his room. Raven didn't bother chasing him, she didn't need to hear what her _brother_ was going to say about her.

 _How_ dare _he compare someone like… him! To me!_ Raven gritted her teeth and slammed her fist against the wall. _Compose yourself, Raven… Summer's almost finished. I'll make it winter for her, and that fortune will be mine, and mine alone!_ She, like her siblings, retired to her room. It was to be another free day tomorrow, and she wasn't going to waste that by being tired.

And that free day came. Once Summer woke up, she finally had good news that her eyes wasn't black and bruised, but swollen. _It can just be written off as a disease,_ she thought as she got her dress ready. She wasn't about to get caught by Raven or Qrow, this would be something she'd do without anyone following her, and she'd try to have at least a little bit of fun. Making sure to tell her father that she was leaving, it was still early once she had stepped out the door.

"It's not far to the stream. I hope the boy showed up there…" Summer mumbled to herself as she made her way there. Surprisingly, the boy sat at the edge of the stream, watching the fish in the water swim about. "Hello there."

"Huh?!" the boy looked up, and Summer could swear she remembered this blonde haired boy from somewhere…

"You… You're that boy who was getting bullied, aren't you?" Summer asked, walking over to sit down next to him.

"Um, yeah… I'm Taiyang Xiao Long."

"Summer Rose, nice to meet you," Summer introduced, smiling. Taiyang looked away with a blush on his face, before looking back at her.

"So, there's a carnival going on over at the village across the stream," Taiyang mentioned.

"Oh really?"

"Yeah, they have clowns and rides and bearded ladies! But, I don't have the money to get in…" Taiyang said, curling up into a ball. Summer frowned at him for a moment before smiling.

"Come on, I have the money to get in," Summer said, making Taiyang smile for the first time in a while.

"R-really? Thank you!"

It was from here that Taiyang became the last light in Summer's cursed life. With everything being taken away from her by Raven, she was forced to find Taiyang, and that was perhaps the greatest thing that could've ever been done. The two had a great time at the carnival, and that wasn't the end to their frequent hang-outs. They'd always meet at the stream, every day, whenever Summer had the chance. They'd become so in love, despite their young age. Summer even carved a heart in a tree and put their initials inside, much to the dismay of Tai.

All good things come to an end, however, and when their most recent day of spending time with each other was over, they'd separated. It was sunset when Taiyang was heading home. Raven had been keeping an eye on Summer ever since she became a much happier person. She found the carved heart in the tree, and found it hilarious how childish it was.

Raven stepped into Taiyang's path, "Hello. Are you Taiyang? You and Summer look happy together…"

Taiyang was suddenly filled with a bad feeling. He took a step back as Raven took one forward.

"I knew there was something wrong. She's happy where she should be miserable."

Taiyang turned around to run, but Raven gripped his arm. She winded up her fist and sent it forward, punching the lights out of Tai. He fell to the ground on all fours, and she proceeded to kick him until he began to spit up blood. "You will stay away from her, or else you'll get this punishment once again."

"You…" Taiyang managed to speak a word through his broken ribs. Raven leaned down with ear out and a smirk on her face.

"Say that again?"

"You… bitch," Taiyang choked out. It took a moment for Raven to process, but she went into a ballistic mode. Dropping onto Taiyang and sitting on his chest, she began to beat his face into a pulp until he was bloodied and bruised and could do nothing else except breathe. She lifted herself off of him and quickly realized what she had done.

 _No… I went on a childish temper tantrum! Just like… No! I'm not like him! I just… have to control myself…_ Raven battle with her thoughts as she returned home, her knuckles white and sore.

Summer didn't get the news of her boyfriend's attack until the next day. She'd seen him in the town across the stream, where they had promised to meet up, and he avoided her gaze.

"Taiyang? What's wrong?" Summer asked, seeing the tears in his eyes.

"I'm sorry, Summer… She beat me." Taiyang managed to choke out through his sobs before running off.

"She…?" Summer wondered for a moment, before it hit her. _Raven… Raven…! RAVEN!_

She took off running as well, but not in Taiyang's direction. She went straight back into the Rose Mansion, hopping over the fountain in the courtyard and bursting through the large front doors.

" _RAVEN!"_ Summer screamed as she burst through the doors. Her red dress was ripped from the fountain jump, but she didn't mind, it gave her more mobility.

"I wouldn't use my name lightly, if I were you," Raven said, standing up from a common chair in the main hall.

"This fight ends now! You won't hurt him again!" Summer said, dashing straight toward Raven.

"So, you saw your precious Taiyang, yes? And now you take revenge with your fists…" Raven said, smugly.

"You won't insult him like that!" Summer yelled as she threw a punch, with Raven immediately ducked under. Raven brought her elbow up and it collided right into Summer's face.

"You want more of when we boxed, eh?!" Raven said, before pushing Summer's back into the wall and turning away. Everything suddenly slowed down, and began to process through Summer's mind.

 _I can't beat her… But if I lose here, then I'll spend the rest of my life living in Raven's shadow! But most of all, I have to fight for Tai's honor!_ Summer stood back up and put her fists up.

 _I'm going to pulverize her, and I'll do it fair and square… That way, Summer will know beyond a doubt that she can't beat me!_ Raven threw her black dress coat away, revealing her toned arms. _Not in a fight, and not in life!_

Summer leaped towards Raven, and sent a punch aimed for her head. Raven blocked it with both of her arms and kicked right at Summer's ribs. _She doesn't have as much muscle as me, this'll be easy!_

Suddenly, Summer didn't recoil from the kick. She burst forward afterwards and gripped Raven's head and shoulder.

"How'd you-?!" Raven couldn't finish her question, as she was interrupted by Summer headbutting Raven back. She stumbled for a moment, giving her a chance. Summer continued with a flurry of jabs, hooks, and finishing it off with an uppercut, which spread Raven's blood all over the room, including on the stone mask. The stone mask activated, shooting out spikes, causing it to fall from its hook on the wall.

Summer looked back at it for a moment, but turned toward Raven once more when she began to whimper.

"You…!" Raven hopped back to her feet, and pulled a knife from her pocket. Summer took a step back, but Raven was to quick. She jumped forward to kill Summer, but something grabbed her from behind.

"Ah!" Raven yelped as he was pinned to the ground.

"I'm not about to let you kill someone, let alone our step-sister," Qrow said, pinning her to the ground.

"T-thanks, Qrow," Summer said, stumbling backwards.

"Summer!" Qrow yelled her name once she fell back, but she only fainted. When he looked back at Raven, she had done the same. The moment he heard Archer Rose's door open, Qrow swiped the knife from Raven's hand and slipped it into his pocket, and moved away from the both of them.

"What… What happened here?!" Archer asked, seeing both Summer and Raven bloodied and fainted.

"I, uh… I think they fought, and wore each other out," Qrow explained, trying to make it seem like he wasn't a part of it. Archer sighed and ordered the both of them to be moved to their rooms.

"I shall punish them later. For now, they should rest…" Archer Rose said, rubbing his chin.

Qrow looked out the window, _Dammit… If this is how we are now, I can't imagine how we'll be in the future..._

The next day was different. The next seven years…

They were different.

The stone mask's activation was forever in Summer and Raven's minds…

 _ **Seven Years Passed…**_

{- TO BE CONTINUED


	2. A Letter from the Past

**A/N: Sorry for such a long wait, guys. I really do apologize. Also, I've got some questions about what you guys want for the future at the end of the chapter. For now, enjoy!**

* * *

 _Qrow stared at the Rose Mansion courtyard, watching servants struggling to bring a box full of things his adoptive mother, Chinow Rose, ordered. He wasn't sure what she'd ordered, and he didn't really care as well, however, he knew Summer would be curious. She had a mind that wandered like that, and he admired that with her. His sister, however, only wished to gain knowledge in order to gain the upper hand. When he left for university, it would be Summer he would miss, not his sister. He'd never say that to her face however; his bond with his sibling keeping him from hating her._

 _Qrow heard his bedroom door open. He turned his head slightly, and saw his sister approach from over his shoulder._

" _Brother," Raven started, "you are finished packing?"_

 _Qrow turned his full body around to face her, "Yes, my carriage will be ready at the crack of dawn. Can't be late, you know."_

" _Hm," Raven looked at the floor. For once, she felt unsure. Her brother, whom she spent nearly all of her life with and protecting. It felt odd to finally separate. She wasn't scared, per se, but she didn't want the feeling of separation and weakness to fill her heart. "…Are you sure you can go on your own?"_

 _Qrow's eyebrows subtly raised, "Going to miss me, sister? You don't seem the sort."_

" _Tch, I'm not. I'm simply looking out for you. You are family, after all," Raven said. Qrow had a feeling she didn't mean what she said, but the fact that she would help him regardless made him feel happy inside. Raven didn't help everyone unconditionally, so to know he was the exception was sweet. He realized she was most likely blind to her protectiveness._

" _I'll be fine, Raven. You don't have to worry about me, I can protect myself," Qrow said, flexing his arm with a smirk on his face. Raven chuckled along with him for a moment._

" _By the way," Raven said, "do you know where Chinow went? Her package will be here in a moment."_

" _Hm?" Qrow hummed._

Qrow didn't realize that this moment would have such an impact on his life.

 **ROSE'S BIZARRE ADVENTURE – PART 1: PHANTOM AURA**

Chapter 2: A Letter from the Past

Qrow gripped the letter he held in his hands, his eyes roaming its contents over and over again. His eyes couldn't be ripped away.

 _Dear Qrow Branwen,_

 _It's been a while, brother! How long as it been, nearly a year? You should come visit us. I really miss you, we need to talk again! Just consider visiting again soon, okay? How about… sometime this week?_

At this point, it was perfectly normal, assuming it came from Summer Rose, his adoptive sister. The two had a friendly relationship, and Qrow had felt an odd bond to the woman that he didn't want to admit to. Yet, the reason he was so concerned was the true sender.

 _Love, Raven Branwen_

How? Thoughts blazed through Qrow's mind. Raven wouldn't dare write like this! She'd rather die in a ditch than be writing an overly sweet letter, leaving her emotions vulnerable and bare. Qrow didn't care about how his sister was able to write a piece like this, no, what he was concerned about was what she was planning. And so, he agreed. If only to stop Raven's charade before she could start it.

If she hadn't started it already.

* * *

Seven long years passed in the Rose household. Qrow left to gain an education four years into the Branwen twins stay, and by that time, Summer and Raven had grown into respectable women. As well, the both of them worked out and made sure to always stay strong, as a precaution against the other sister. However, it was also when Qrow left that someone else left as well.

Chinow Rose had disappeared.

It was the night something she'd ordered was delivered to the mansion. The package was delivered fine; any difficulty had was during getting it inside. It was a decently sized box, no higher than anybody's knees. It was made out of a thick metal, with a heavy combination lock that kept it shut tightly.

Ever since the disappearance, Summer had always toyed with the lock for a bit before returning to her normal duties, acting as if nothing happened. Truthfully, her heart was broken, and she had no one to console her. Her father had gone mad knowing his wife was gone, and Raven wouldn't have offered to be there for her, despite her numerous efforts to be "nice" and "friendly". Summer felt it in her heart it was all a ruse.

So, she forced herself to toughen up. Without her father's knowledge, she began to exercise and build up her muscles that hid underneath her dress. To be honest, it felt like she could punch a tree, and it would fall. Perhaps she was becoming too confident, however. She was sure Raven was doing the same, but as to why she did it secretly like her, she did not know. But Summer was weak emotionally, and if Raven wanted to hurt her, then she would have to respond physically.

Within weeks, her face lost all the sadness for her mother. When she wasn't smiling or angry, her face was a stone. It was as if she'd given up. That's what Raven thought, anyways. On the inside, Summer was dying without her mother. Every day, a small bit of herself was eaten away, and she was fearing that she'd become what her father had; an empty shell who walked around with no hope in his eyes.

And so, she never gave up hope. Hopeful eyes watched the bird that lived within her household, as well.

For all intents and purposes, Raven had won. Without even needing to scheme or swindle, victory was secured in her grasp. That didn't mean she didn't need to be careful, however. She knew that in the most critical moment, underestimating your opponent leaves you open to attack. And she would never underestimate Summer ever again.

Her plan was simple. She would poison Archer Rose, the step-father who tried to raise her lovingly, and he would die a simple death. Old age, the doctors would call it. The poison was fast acting, at least that's what the man told her. Then, she would do the same to Summer. Excuse it as an illness caused by the depression her father left her. It would work perfectly, and with their deaths, all money would be passed down to her and her brother, the technical next of kin.

She would smirk to herself and laugh. She laughed heartily. She laughed without restraint. It became clear to herself that, as the years went by, she wasn't plotting to steal the Rose fortune anymore. No, she realized that what she really wanted was for Summer to suffer. Raven hoped, deep in her heart, that Archer's death brought true suffering to Summer's heart. No more would she smile; no more would she hope.

Summer would die. And if the poison wasn't going to work, then Raven would use the mask. The stone mask that the two of them saw activate on _that_ day. The day she swore that she would destroy Summer.

And so, with a small pill in hand, Raven walked to her step-father's room, bringing a meal. She'd recognized the small smile the servant had on her face when Raven requested to so it instead.

Raven couldn't wait to see that face morph into a ball of fear and sadness. Silver eyes watched with growing suspicion, however.

 _Raven has become much happier as of late…_ Summer noticed. She watched her step-sister take the food to her father, which she had been doing for a few weeks now, with a smile on the young girl's face. It wasn't a normal smile, however. It was the same smirk that Summer saw when they were kids, seven years ago. And that truly instilled fear within her.

Summer sighed, her vision moving to the large window in the front of the house. She could imagine her mother standing on the balcony, staring out into the field with bright eyes.

" _Summer," Chinow looked at the young girl who sat next to her, "what do you want to be when you grow up?"_

" _I want to be a hero, so I can save people in need!" Summer exclaimed excitedly. Chinow looked at her and smiled, her grin reaching her ears. Summer looked up at her, with her bright eyes shining at Chinow wondrously._

" _I'm sure you'll be the hero you've always wanted to be, my daughter," Chinow spoke, softly. Summer smiled as well, and soon, she was leaning against her mother with short breaths. She'd fallen asleep. Chinow moved lightly, not wanting to wake Summer up, and she pulled out a letter she'd been hiding under her lap. Her smile quickly turned into frown as she read the contents of the letter over and over. She huffed, and looked at Summer. "A few more years, huh? I hope it won't have to come to that…"_

Summer sighed. Her mother thought she was asleep, and now, that question plagued her mind. A few more years? What did she mean by that? But soon, her confusion and frustration was replaced with a sudden dread that dropped in her stomach. _Maybe that letter would be the answer to where she went?_ Summer wondered. Had her mother planned on leaving years in advance, without letting anyone know this knowledge? Summer walked swiftly toward her mother's room and broke into the room without hesitance. Her strong legs from constantly running around the fields of Patch had served her well as she kicked the door down. Not to stealthy, she realized, but nobody seemed to notice in spite of it.

It was just how she remembered it. A single window, with a small desk beside it. A bookshelf, filled with personal books that Archer had bought his wife, for her personal studies. Strange things they were, Summer realized as she walked by and glanced at some of the spines of the books. _Meditating techniques… 'Unlocking Your Aura'… 'Projecting a Semblance'…?_ Summer read the book titles. Aura? Semblance? Summer shook her head, perhaps her mother was interested in the occult? Summer laughed, the idea was absurd! She walked toward the desk in the room.

Summer began to inspect the drawers of the desk, and shuffled through their contents. Ink containers and quills in one, empty parchments in another. Where was that letter? _She must've taken it with her_ , Summer reasoned. She almost gave up her impromptu search, until she looked underneath the stack of blank papers. It was a letter, written in her mother's own handwriting. Summer lit the candle on the desk with a match nearby, sat down, and began to read.

 _Summer Rose, My Daughter_

 _It is with great sadness that I must depart from our household, and take care of something that has long bothered my mind. An issue from a past I would like to forget. You'd never believe me if I told you the details, so I will keep this brief. I do not wish for you to pursue me, as I predict you will. You are a wonderful girl, Summer, and a wonderful daughter. I would not like you to die in your pursuit of me. Just know that I will always be watching you. I know you struggle with your sister constantly, and it saddens me so. Her mother and father were involved with a guild of thieves and murderers, and a part of me fears that Qrow and Raven have this in their blood, but I want to give them the benefit of the doubt. Do not hate your sister, rather, love her as if she were family._

 _17436_

 _Love, Chinow Rose_

Summer put the letter down as her hand trembled. Her mother _did_ leave of her own accord! She wasn't sure if she should have been feeling happy, knowing that her mother was most likely safe, or if she should have been feeling angry, knowing that her mother left without any sort of final words. _Don't pursue her?_ Summer scoffed, beginning to reread the letter. _And what is this about Raven's family?_ Summer asked herself, as she left her head fall into her hands. Her face felt damp. It was then she realized she was crying. Anger, she felt. But to whom, she was unsure. It was first directed at her mother, but then suddenly toward her step sister. She'd hid this fact from her… Summer raised herself off the chair and wiped her tears away.

Storming out of her mother's room, Summer's eyes found their target, Raven Branwen. Raven immediately felt her step sister's burning glare and turned to match it. The two stared at each other for a moment.

"Raven," Summer spoke, her voice being shockingly soft. Raven clenched her fist, and Summer quickly noticed a large change. "You gave father his food and medicine?"

"That's right," Raven spat back, giving a venomous look as well. She raised her chin, "What of it?"

"You…" Summer began, feeling all of her confidence warp out of her. _No, I mustn't give in!_ Summer thought, raising her head once more, "Your family was originally from a thieves' guild, aren't you?"

Raven's eyes widened, before she returned to her uncaring expression. Summer didn't miss the initial impact of her words, however. "My parents were from a tribe of thieves and murderers, yes, if that's what you mean. What of it?" Raven asked, her glare becoming stronger. Summer didn't back down.

"Where is that medicine?" Summer asked, her voice, clear and strong. Raven let out a growl, but quickly slapped her hand onto her mouth. Summer gave her a shocked look. Raven took a step back, and shook her head.

 _What am I losing my cool for?! She hasn't a single piece of evidence!_ Raven looked up at Summer's eyes, and saw a shining resolve in them. Wasn't that what she saw seven years ago? _She… She knows! I have no choice!_ Raven dashed forward, her toned arms thrusting in front of her. Summer stepped back, but dipped down and challenged Raven's grab.

"You… you aren't stronger than me!" Raven growled, trying to lift up Summer's weight, but Summer pushed back too hard. Summer duck down and easily moved her hands to Raven's waist, her arms moving like water. She gripped Raven hard, and lifted her in the air.

"I will protect my family! I won't let you hurt them, Raven!" Summer yelled, throwing Raven to the railing of the foyer. It broke, letting Raven fall to the ground with a heavy thud. "I now know what you've been thinking over these last seven years!"

"Have I… underestimated her again…?" Raven mumbled, lying in the wooden rubble of the railing. Her eyes looked up at the ceiling, before moving downward and seeing Summer watch her from the second floor. She walked away, leaving Raven discarded. _Dead… You're dead…!_ Raven thought, as she lifted herself onto her knees, making sure to avoid any sharp cracks in the wood. _No, not now! If the police get involved now, I'll have to start over! My target is the fortune; it has to be the perfect crime!_ Raven wiped some blood off her lips as she began to concoct a plan in her head. _Yes, that's it. It will take time for the medicine to be analyzed, which means I have time to finally kill Summer._

* * *

"Father!" Summer exclaimed, dashing into her father's bedroom. He laid on the bed, an empty look in his face as he slowly ate his meal. He looked up at her as she entered the room.

"Hello, Summer," Archer spoke, coughing slightly into his hand. Summer looked down at his food tray, and saw the pill wrapped around a piece of paper. She quickly grabbed it and held it close. "Why are you taking away my medicine…?"

"Raven Branwen is not who she says she is, and I will prove it with this, father," Summer explained, gesturing to the pill, "I will be leaving to Mountain Glenn for two or three days."

"What?!" Archer's eyes opened and he sat up suddenly, spilling some of his food onto his bed, "You are leaving…? Just like your mother has!"

"No, father, I will return with the truth, worry not," Summer spoke, a determined look on her face. She looked over at the servant standing next to Archer's bed, "You, make sure no one else but a doctor comes up here and provides my father with the medicine he needs."

The servant nodded, and Summer took off.

Summer was hesitant to return to the main hall, thanks to Raven's dominating figure. But she went on, with no sign of Raven anywhere. Summer escaped to her mother's room once more, and grabbed the letter off the desk. Just as she stepped out, she noticed something that she skipped over before.

 _17436_

 _A code?_ Summer wondered, her legs stopping at the door frame. It hit her suddenly, and Summer's head moved to the left, in the corner of the room. Separated from everything else was her mother's package, which was delivered the day she left. How could Summer have forgotten? Potentially the largest clue as to where her mother had left to. And the lock on the box challenged her. Summer shut the door quietly and approached the box. She lifted up the lock and saw the input for a five-digit code. _How convenient,_ Summer thought as she looked down at the letter. _Did mother… want me to open the box?_ Summer asked herself, as her fingers moved the tiles to match the number on the paper. The lock clicked, and the crate opened up.

"What…?" Summer mumbled.

* * *

It wasn't long before Summer stepped out of the door to the Rose Mansion, out of her dress and into an entirely new outfit. A white tunic fit snuggly around her figure, and on top, a layer of worn, gray leather armor with shoulder pads. Her hands had gauntlets, insulated with leather, and she had large black boots. Her legs wore a baggy pair of heavy, dark trousers, and she completed the look with a pure white hood, hiding her dark hair and youthful face. It all fit her perfectly.

 _Mother must have purposefully left this for me in the package. There's no way something would be so fitting to my figure if she didn't make it specifically for myself._ Summer thought, understanding her mother's intentions. But she had no time to be concerned about that, she had to worry about a certain bird who threatened her whole family. Summer stepped onto a carriage she had asked to be prepared, and took off, toward Mountain Glenn.

Raven watched her from the window.

{- - - To Be Continued

* * *

 **A/N: Hey, guys, again, sorry for the major delay. That won't happen again, I can guarantee. Now, I wanted to ask you all a question. As I'm sure you noticed, this chapter is MUCH shorter than the first one, and I wanted to know if you preferred chapters that were this length. Or if you wanted much longer chapters, like the first. If you guys prefer the longer ones, then know that chapters will take longer to come out. If they stay this length, then I should be able to finish them faster than usual.**

 **Thanks for your time, guys. Have a good day!**


	3. Mountain Glenn

Mountain Glenn. A neighboring town to Vale, hidden away in the mountains. Compared to Vale, it was a criminal underworld. Shady men in red glasses roamed the streets, with deadly faunus giving them dirty looks. One would have figured all-out war should have broken out between the people of Mountain Glenn, but with all of them fearing having their hideouts revealed to the authorities, they chose to keep it low. They weren't afraid to shakedown a newcomer, however.

Summer patted her fist against the palm of her other hand as she looked around the new street. _I let the authorities check the poison, and yet, it couldn't be analyzed… This means that there's a strong chance for it to be of foreign origin! The most likely place to get such a thing would be from Mountain Glenn!_

The eyes of many bystanders stared at Summer as she walked through the town. Cautiously, she made her way forward while keeping an eye out for anything that would indicate something from a foreign location, _a flag or sign, perhaps? I should keep an eye out for other languages as well…_

Summer didn't notice a pair of sly, green eyes tracking her movements carefully.

 **ROSE'S BIZARRE ADVENTURE – PART 1: PHANTOM AURA**

Chapter 3: Mountain Glenn

"I – I tried to stop her!" the coachman said nervously, his hands trembling. Several butlers seemed to absorb the anxiety that was radiating off of him, but Raven's face was unmoved. She hardly reacted to the news that Summer had gone to Mountain Glenn – she knew it was only a matter of time until her step sister would deduce the location of the poison's origin.

"Don't tell Lord Rose! I fear that he would die if he heard the news!" a butler exclaimed, looking at Raven. She resisted a smile. _Perhaps it would be an easier method to getting rid of him, rather than the poison…_ Raven shook her head, it was too impractical. Instead, her train of thoughts moved over to her sister.

 _She's gone to Mountain Glenn… Summer won't be able to handle herself there! Now I won't have to kill him with the mask… He's either dying or already dead!_ Raven smirked evilly. Her newest plan, using the stone mask that activated so long ago to kill her sister, seemed like it would have to be retired. _Too bad, I wanted to see Rose writhe… Oh well, as long as everything goes according to plan._

"Oh, Mistress Branwen!" Raven turned to a butler that approached her, she motioned for him to continue. "We received word from Qrow's university: he will be taking a brief time off to visit!"

Raven nodded, "Very well. Make sure father knows, perhaps seeing him will aid his health."

"Yes, Ma'am!"

Raven slowly tucked the stone mask hidden in her dress closer to herself. She didn't know if Summer could remember its existence, but the memory of it activating on that day was, for some reason, seared into her mind.

* * *

Summer sighed as she put her hand on a stone brick wall of a house. It was slightly cracked – all the houses in Mountain Glenn seemed to be built with matches. Summer assumed that if an earthquake were to pass through, the whole town would simply collapse on itself. She shook her head, she needed to focus on the task at hand. The cold winds at this altitude gave Summer a small shiver as she trudged through the light layer of snow on the ground; she'd been at this for a couple of hours at this point. The sun was beyond the horizon, and all that was left was a sky of beautiful stars to contrast against the dying town.

The apparel Summer's mother had left her helped keep the warmth in, she wasn't sure if she'd still be able to move forward were it not for the clothing. Her white hood helped hide her young face as well, kept the cowards afraid of her and the creeps unaware of her. Several faunus with some kind of sight ability were able to see through her disguise, however, and she felt their gazes attempt to undress her. She held her head up steadfastly and ignored them.

"What is with this place?" Summer mumbled as she made a turn around a corner and saw a dead end on the road. "This place is almost like a maze…"

"That it is, little lady," Summer heard a smooth voice directly behind her, making her jump forward and slide around on the snow to face the sudden presence. She came face to face with a young looking man, with blazing orange hair. He wore a white suit with red lining, with black pants. A grey scarf was wrapped tightly around his neck and a black bowler hat with a red band rested on his head. He leaned on his cane with a smirk on his face.

Summer looked at him cautiously before speaking, "…Hello, sir. May I help you?"

The man's eyes lit up suddenly, "Oh, yes, actually! Do you know what town this is?"

"Er… Mountain Glenn?" Summer scratched her chin for a moment. The man nodded with exaggeration, a large smile on his face.

"Do you know what kind of people live in Mountain Glenn?"

Summer coughed, "I try not to judge people, however… from what I know, it is full of criminals."

The man smiled, "Very good! And what am I?"

Summer's eyes narrowed, "…A criminal."

"Maybe you're not as naïve as I once thought! Get 'er, boys!" The man pointed at Summer just as two men jumped out of the snow toward Summer. One of the men carried a large red blade, the other ran with his bare fists.

"Hmph," Summer sighed as she raised her fists. The man with the red sword jumped toward her, slashing and connecting with the blade. He didn't realize it at first, but Summer had caught the sword in her grasp with hardly any sort of reaction. Her gauntlets seemed to protect her hands.

"Are – Are you some kinda idiot?!" the man yelled, trying to pull his sword back, "You're a tough babe with a powerful grip! What do you think will happen if I twist this sword a bit? You'll be short on four fingers!"

"Just try it!" Summer yelled, "I'll do anything to protect my father! I have a lot more riding on this fight than you, so twist the knife, if you don't mind a kick hard enough to your groin to squash your genitals!"

The thug squirmed for a moment before looking at the other man, with Summer's eyes following his gaze. The other man jumped at her with his fists forward and a kick prepared for a follow-up attack, "Who do you think you are?! My lightning fists will send you to the afterlife!"

Summer threw her other hand toward the jumping man, and slammed his face with the back of her fist. He flew back and landed in the snow, and using the surprise on the sword man's face to her advantage, Summer elbowed the man's face and back-fisted him as well, smashing his nose and dropping him to the ground.

Summer looked over to the man in the bowler hat with a determined expression. He looked at his dropped allies and sighed tiredly, "Augh, this is the last time I get hired help. I suppose if you something done, you have to do it yourself…"

"Wait! I'm not here to fight, I just want to find someone who sells foreign poison!" Summer raised her hand at the man, who looked at her for a moment before twirling the cane around on his index finger.

The man chuckled, "Well, you've run into the right person. It's too bad you got on my bad side!" He raised his cane quickly, with a target popping out of the tip. Summer flinched for a moment, allowing the man to pull the trigger, firing a bullet from the cane. It dug quickly into Summer's left arm, causing her to choke out a sound of pain.

 _No! Is this really necessary…?_ Summer grabbed her arm and took a step back, _I've got no choice! If this man has the information I'm looking for, then I must defeat him! I will find the antidote!_

"Just gonna stand there?!" The man yelled, raising his cane once again. Summer dashed forward and picked up the red sword that laid on the snow, and threw it at the thug. He gasped and barely dodged it before taking a shot at Summer. The bullet dug itself in the shoulder of her armor, but she didn't react much to the pain. The man took a moment to gloat to himself for a successful hit, and didn't notice Summer's dash toward him.

"Hah! Nice trick with the sword, but I still got you, you – what?!" the man stepped back as he realized how close Summer was, before he felt the bottom of her foot dig into his gut. She pushed her kick forward, and blew him into the snow.

The man coughed as he slowly sat up, _What's with this chick?! She's willing to take bullets for what she wants? What the hell kind of constitution does she have?_ The man watched Summer as she reached to where the bullet hit her shoulder, and pulled out the bullet from her armor. She flicked the metal to the snow before looking over at the thug resting in the snow.

"Are you ready to listen to what I have to say?" Summer asked, honesty in her eyes. There was a special kind of innocence in her expression, and it bothered the thug. He hated the remembrance it gave to his own past – he remembered having the same eyes when he was a teenager. That light in the eyes, a stubborn passion. Where did that go for him? Envy, he felt, when he looked into Summer's eyes.

Summer looked up from the thug and saw a crowd of criminals surrounding them. All kinds of people: humans and faunus, weapons in all their hands, with killer eyes looking at her. She gasped and raised her fists; she was fully prepared to take them all down to find the seller of the poison!

"Stop! Don't touch that woman!" the thug with the cane yelled, making everyone stalking toward Summer stop. Summer raised an eyebrow – just how much control did this man have over the people of Mountain Glenn? The man lifted himself from the ground and patted the snow that covered his suit off. He considered Summer's eyes once again, and feeling firm with his decision, he smirked. "Well, you've convinced me, lil' lady. The name's Roman Torchwick, a man with many connections."

Summer stepped back, "Wait, why are you suddenly helping me?"

"You're fresh blood, what else?" Torchwick looked away from Summer, toward his two hired men, who seemed to be just fine. "Not brave enough to kill, eh?"

Summer shook her head, "That's not it. I'm here for my father. The moment I remembered that in the midst of our fight, I realized that you all must have families as well… I do not wish to sadden them!"

Torchwick snorted, "Ha! Yes, truly, you are far too naïve…" _Not that there's anything wrong with such a thing, not at your age._ "Tell me your name, kid."

"Summer Rose."

"Hm, I see… Well then, Miss Rose, you were looking for a foreigner who sells poison, yes?" Torchwick asked, leaning on his cane, "he's kind of a nasty guy. You know how the people from Vacuo are…"

Summer's eyes perked up, "You know him?"

Torchwick gripped his cane, "…You've got something about you that is different from most others. It's hard for me to tell what it is… but I gotta apologize for that little shakedown. So I'll take you to that foreigner."

Summer smiled brightly, "R-Really? Thank you so much!"

Torchwick slightly tipped his bowler hat over his eyes, _What're you thanking me for? I was just trying to kill you not even a few minutes ago…_ He used his cane to push his hat back to the top of his head and looked at the crowd, "Clear the way, we've got a place to go."

The crowd listened, and split an opening. Torchwick lead Summer out of the alley. "Right this way, madam…"

"Can I ask you a question, Mister Torchwick?" Summer looked at the thug curiously.

"Shoot."

"Why do all those people listen to you as if you were their master?" Summer asked, looking through his eyes. Something about her made it easy for him to talk.

"Let's just say I got a lot of connections. It's a part of the business, you know… I'm important to a lot of the criminals here. Providing food and stuff from Vale to the people here for small change," Torchwick explained.

"That doesn't sound like a criminal business. It sounds like you're helping the innocent," Summer smiled.

Torchwick shook his head, "Stealin' from the rich, sellin' to the poor? I'm in it for the profit, kid, sorry to say."

"Hm," Summer hummed in thought as she turned away from Torchwick.

After a short walk, Torchwick stopped in front of a broken, wooden door with light from a candle peeking through the holes in the wood. Torchwick nodded at the building and looked at Summer.

"We're here, kid." Torchwick stepped inside first, with Summer right behind him.

{ - - - To Be Continued


	4. The Stone Mask

**A/N: Hey, guys. Sorry for the long break. But now that RWBY Volume 6 is finished, I think it's time to hop back on this story. I'll be trying to get at least 1 chapter out a week, but sometimes you guys might get more than one a week! Anyways, I hope you guys enjoy this next chapter! It's time to get into the real meat - Or should I say blood? - of Phantom Aura.**

* * *

The stars and the moon shined brightly in the sky. Without them, the roadway would've been nearly completely engulfed in darkness. Qrow leaned his chin against his fist as he stared out the window of his cart at the sky. He always enjoyed nice, quiet nights like these. When he was a child, a calm night was a gift from Lady Luck. His parents arguing almost every night, and their alcohol problem only made the issue worse. It was something that both he and Raven could bond together about – their mutual hatred of their parents.

Qrow bit his tongue gently as he began to think about his sister. What was going on with her? That letter, it wasn't like her at all. It had been a while since he'd left the Rose household and began his studies – did something… _change?_ Qrow shook his head with a frown. Raven would never change, that much he knew. From their time together to now, Qrow's sister was, to say the least, a little devil.

Bullying her peers, working on shadier sides, and hiding things from their parents; Raven was born with the natural talent for crime. The only good thing Qrow could remember his sister doing was protecting him from anything that threatened him. She seemed to have a thing for the weak – Qrow could remember Raven bullying the bullies, drawing them away from the weak.

Qrow sighed and scratched an itch away from his forehead. Raven was a tiring topic. He could only wish that she was alright – and by that, he meant Summer, and that Raven didn't do anything to her. Was that strange? His concern for his step-sister. And not his true one…

Qrow's nose twitched. He smelled something… _burning?_

 **ROSE'S BIZARRE ADVENTURE: PART 1 – PHANTOM AURA**

Chapter 4: The Stone Mask

It wasn't too cold out tonight. The port of Vale was scarce with people, Raven thought it to be the best place for some space to herself. Though it pleasured her to find a lonely spot, Raven felt some kind of anxiety grip her heart. Why? The confidence she'd let out back at the Rose household had been drained away, only replaced by stress and worry. _Summer went to Mountain Glenn, there's no way someone like her would survive out there…_

Raven wore her combat dress – something she'd requested specifically should she have to go outside on her own. It was a one-size-fits-all, and worked perfectly with her style too, if she had to say it honestly. She made sure to tip the tailor once the piece was completed.

Raven raised her bottle of alcohol to her lips and took a long drink, letting the burning sensation fire up her throat and let the pain take away her anxiety, at least for a little while. However, once the bottle fell from her mouth, Raven only felt the stress grip her heart once again. She sighed and stumbled forward into a spotlight – the only working torch on the port.

 _Something's wrong with me – my emotions are running wild!_ Raven gritted her teeth as she looked down at the drink in her hands, _It's Summer's damn fault…! Everything started going wrong because of her, and now she's dying on Mountain Glenn!_

Raven closed her eyes, _But that worries me! She can't have found proof of the poison, has he?! Which is it?!_

Raven felt something bump against her shoulder, but she pushed it back with a simple shrug. She heard a low growl and turned to look at who was there.

"Pay some attention! Look where you're going, dimwit!" A man yelled, an ugly and angry expression on his face. There were two of them, Raven noticed, and they both looked ready to jump on her. Their eyes were tired and they stumbled around – they don't handle their alcohol well, Raven thought. She turned away, making the man suddenly spike in anger.

"Hey! Eye contact, woman!" the man yelled before looking down at his sleeve, where Raven had bumped into him. He smirked as he turned to his friend, "Hey, partner! I got stains from that bitch's drink on my jacket, look!"

The other man looked at his friend's jacket, noticed alcohol spilled over the left sleeve of it and gasped loudly. The speaking man nodded his head with a frown. Raven watched the interaction with disgust, _These imbeciles aren't worth my time – I've got better things to be doing._

"Bah!" the man exclaimed once Raven began walking away, "You should bring your brother with you when you go outside!"

Raven stopped walking, and the two men watched carefully before approaching her. Just when they'd gotten within arm's reach, Raven twirled on the ball of her foot with her bottle of alcohol in her hand and smashed the bottle into the speaking man's face, shattering glass into his mouth and breaking a few teeth.

"Agh!" the man leaned down and held his mouth, blood quickly spilling out and onto the stone ground of the Vale port. His friend looked at him incredulously before turning to Raven.

"That… that bitch! How dare you!" the man pulled a large knife out of his pocket and waved it around in the air, "I'll kill you, you damn brat!"

"Is that so?" Raven taunted, licking the alcohol that spilled onto her hands, "How dare a filthy, unhygienic insect of an old geezer insult me! So, you said you'll kill me? That's cute!"

Raven's eyes widened as the man ran at her with his knife. Time seemed to slow down as a sudden realization hit her, and a wicked smirk appeared on her face. She pulled out the stone mask hidden in her dress – she grabbed it just before she left as a secondary measure to kill Summer. "This is a good opportunity… I'll test my plan for killing Summer!"

"What are you mumbling about!?" the man yelled just before stabbing forward at Raven. She leaned to her right and naturally let gravity direct her around his knife, and reached forward with the mask in her hand. She pushed the mask into the man's face and grabbed his wrist with her other hand, and directed his hand to stab into the neck of the other man. Raven sliced out with the knife, and blood splattered everywhere, including on the mask.

"Hah, now the mystery of the mask, plaguing me for so long, as finally been solved!" Raven exclaimed as the spikes in the stone mask extended into the man's brain, killing him. Raven smirked, ready to retrieve the mask from the man's corpse, when a sudden burst of light engulfed the port.

"Huh? Where'd all this light come from?! What did the ancients build this mask for?!" Raven yelled as she put her hands up to block the burning light in her eyes. The spikes of the mask loosened, and the light dimmed, before finally going out. The man's corpse laid on the ground, motionless.

Raven looked up from her hands with a bewildered expression. Just what had that been? The problem bothered her, and it made her paranoid. She carefully stepped beside the corpse and looked at the mask, before sending her hardest kick to the man's head. She turned away and sighed, _I thought I saw the mask shining, but it must've been my imagination… It looked like those images and carvings were giving off lights – I must have been disturbed by that._

"And as expected, he's dead," Raven pointed out, "nobody could survive these tentacles burrowing into their brain. Just another instrument for torture and murder!"

She turned away and began walking away from the corpses – it would be easier to leave before anyone came in the morning. Though, just as she had been walking away, she heard something shifting behind her and felt some kind of menace. Raven turned immediately and the man with the mask was right in front of her, his hands stretched and reaching for her.

"He's not dead!" Raven yelped as she jumped back. The stone mask fell off the man's face and onto the ground, revealing the man's pale face and enormous fangs. "What?! What happened to this guy?"

Raven cautiously walked over to the other man's body, and reached for the knife stuck in his neck. The pale man's eyes watched her calmly, with his mouth open and slightly ajar. Raven pulled the knife out and dashed at the pale man.

 _Does the mask unlock hidden powers in our brain?_ Raven wondered as she slashed with the knife. The pale man's expression became almost like an animal as he punched with his fist and met the knife. The knife sliced through his hand, and Raven cut off his pinky finger and a significant chunk of his palm. He was still moving forward, however.

"Urgh!" Raven growled as she moved out of the way. The man stumbled forward into a wall, and his wounded hand smashed into the stone. The whole wall cracked and broke, as if a bomb at exploded and left an impact.

"Wh-what?!" Raven stared at the wall in shock, and didn't notice the man backhand her shoulder and knock her back several feet. She hit her back on a stone post at the edge of the port – had the angle been any different, she would've fallen into the water.

 _What power is this! Who would have thought the mask could awaken such ferocious power from the brain!?_ Raven thought as she sat up from the ground, but she couldn't get onto her feet once she noticed the pain and inability to move her arm. It was smashed against the wall when she was thrown. Raven looked up at the inhuman man with wonder, "He's coming again! Doesn't he feel any pain from his arm?! I-I have to get away!"

Raven dropped onto her stomach and began crawling toward the ocean. _The water! I might have some chance of escaping if I get into the water!_ Raven's thoughts were stopped when she felt a presence beside her head, and before she had time to look at it, a hand rushed forward and grabbed her cheek. Stunned into silence, Raven felt the hand slide over to her neck, and then pierce her skin, almost as if the pale man's fingers melted right through her neck. It wasn't until she felt the veins in her face begin to pop out and drain when she realized what was going on.

"Urgh!" Raven growled loudly. "My blood! He's sucking it!"

Her veins connected to the veins of the pale man, and her blood was quickly being transferred. Raven felt all the energy in her slowly begin to drain.

"So thirsty… what is this – I'm so thirsty! I can't stand it!" the pale man yelled, staring at Raven with a deranged look on his face. His face, once old and wrinkled, was now smooth and handsome. He didn't look a day over twenty, and it filled Raven's spirit with fright. She understood how the stone mask worked now!

"Aaaagh!" Raven screamed into the sky – it felt like no one existed anymore. It was just her, and with that thought, she was beginning to lose hope for herself. The sun began to peek from the horizon – had she really been gone that long? _Goddammit! I don't want the sunrise to be the last thing I see!_

The sunlight began to peek over the Vale port. The sun reached the head of the pale man, and suddenly, he began to turn to dust. The pale man removed himself from her skin and stepped back, but it wasn't enough. The light burned his skin, and Raven couldn't keep her eye off of him as he quickly became dust in the wind.

Raven dropped to the floor, only holding herself up with her good arm. Sweat dripped from her face as she panted quickly, "The sunlight… I'm saved…"

* * *

It was the evening by the time Raven made it back to the Rose household. There was something in the air, she could feel it. A kind of suffocation, but Raven felt this many times before. This was no different. But she could feel something else too – the feeling that everything was about to change.

Raven's injured arm was wrapped around a sling, but the pain was still throbbing. It took a lot of strength to keep out from screaming in pain, but Raven had no time to show weakness. It was now or never.

 _Summer has me cornered… But I won't run, not from someone like her! I've come back to fight!_ Raven thought, as she mustered up the willpower to walk through the door. The door opened, but it felt heavy. The lights were out, and the darkness looked intimidating.

"Where's the butler? Why are the lights out?" Raven questioned, stepping into the house and letting the door close behind her. Suddenly, a single light illuminated from the side of the room. It was a match. And the person holding that match…

"Summer!" Raven's eyes widened once she realized she just fell into the trap. Summer's face held pure determination, and while Raven held the same power in her expression, her sweat and twitchy hand began to reveal her façade. Summer lit a candle next to her.

"Raven. We need to talk."

 **{ - - - To Be Continued**


End file.
